Heat exchanger



July 13 192e.

J. PRlcE HEAT EXCHANGER Filed June 5, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV'ENTOR /glwr/ July 13 1926. v 1,592,538

Y J. PRICE.

HEAT .EXCHANGER Filed June 5,'1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 N VENTOR ATTORNEY ma ,gw l

' July 13,1926. y 1,592,538

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HEAT EEEEEEE ER l 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 E l /l i g 666666666666 666 ff 666666666666666666 .ff 66666666666666666612 July 13 1926. 1592953 J. PRICE f HEAT EXCHANGER Filed June 3, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I' INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 13, 192%.

UNiTEgD stares PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH PRICE, GF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNGR 'lO THE GRISCOM-RUSSELL COM'EANY, OF NEW'YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATON OF DELAWARE.

HEAT EXCHANGER.

Application filed June 3,

The present invention relates to heat eX- change apparatus and has to do particularly with the transfer of heat between a gas and a liquid.

l ln my co-pending application. Serial No. 645,735, filed rl une 16,y 1923, there is described a heat exchanger paticularly adapted to accomplish transfer of heat between two fluid mediums one of which is a gas. For

the our nose of securinoV effective heat transeach consisting of a pair of tubes intercon-l nected at one end and opening at theirother ends into suitabler distributing chambers which serve to properly direct the flow of fluid thru the tubes.

The present invention constitutes a development or modification over the apparatus` disclosed in my above mentioned co-pending application and contemplates particularly an improved construction and arrangement of the tubular heating unit which simplifies f and reduces the cost of construction of they apparatus, and which at the saine time pro vides a flexible system of distributing the liquid thru the tubes of the heating element so that any desired distribution of flow may be obtained without lresulting limitation of any particular dimension of the apparatus. The present structure contemplates the elimination of the usualcomplicated and expensive waterhead or distributing chambers ordinarily provided for controlling the i distribution of the working fluid to the respective'tubes of the heating element.

The present invention involves the idea of interconnecting certain of the tubes of the heating unit in pairs or in groups in the. same fashion asdi'sclosed in the above mentioned co-pending application. With this construction, the tubular heating unit or" the apparatus is divided into a plurality of individual fluid conveying elements, certain '1,92% Serial No. 717,464.

of the tubes of which convey the working fluid in its initial direction thru the apparatus while the remaining tubes convey the "fluid in the reverse direction on its return passage thru the apparatus. lt is a principal feature of this invention tov provide individual return connections at both ends of the tubes of the heating unit, and in this way regulate the distribution of the worling fluid throughout the heat transferring unit. In providing individual return connections at both ends of the heat .transferring unit instead of providing the usual distributing chambers or waterhead at one end -of the apparatus, the individual. connections which replace the usual waterhead coiistruction at one end are arranged to constitute connections between the respective independenteleinents formed by the provision of the individual return connections at the other end of the apparatus. lllorking fluid is admitted at one end of the apparatus and after traversing the length of the heating unit is returned in ythe reverse direction along the unit by reason of the individual return connections provided at that end of the unit. Upon completing its return passage thru one lof the fluid conveying elements the fluid enters the return connection provided at tlieinitial end of that element and, by reason of these connections, is directed into the initial pass of a secondele nient. l/Vith this arrangement a plurality of the individual fluid conveying elements are connected in series arrangement, and at the same time fluid may be admitted to a plurality of such elements in parallel, so that a series-parallelv arrangement of connections is secured. The return connections at the ends of tubes preferably assume the form ci 9 integral boxes or chambers each provided with a suitable member for engagement with the frame of the apparatus to thereby furnish the necessary support for the tubes of the unit.

To obtain a desirable flexibility of design Vso that any desired distribution of fluid flow may be obtained wit-hout limiting any particular dimension of the apparatus, l provide for admission of the working fluid at a plurality of different points in the heating unit. By this arrangement, the tubes of the heating element are divided into a plurality of independent sections, the tubular elements in each of these sections being working fluid independently. `The admission and discharge of the working fluid to Vthe heat transferring tubes is accomplished by means of manifolds extending along the apparatus and having connection with the proper tubes of the heating element. i

The invention contemplates the use of the individual return connections or'water boxes at each end of the tube elements for structures wherein the elements consist either of a pairof tubes or of a number of ltubes greater than 2. In case of tube elements comprising more than 2 tubes, the different passes of the element maycontain either a like number of tubes and likewise the total number of tubes in an element may be either even or odd. This arrangement is advantageous in certain -instances from the standpoint of facility of construction and flexibility of design. I have illustrateda preferred embodiment ofv my invention in the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a horizontal section takenlongitudinally of a fin tube heat exchanger embodying my invention; Figure 2 is a vertical section taken longitudinally ofthe apparatus; Figures 3 to 6 are detail views illustrating portions of the apparatus; Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 7e-7 of Figure 2 showing the arrangement kof the return connections at the 4end of the heating unit; Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view showing the arrangement of the fin tube elements in the apparatus and the manner of supporting and aligning these elements at points interinediate their ends; Figure 9 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 9-9 of Figure l showing the manner vof supporting the ends of theheating elements; Figure 10 is a partial longitudinal sectional view showing the arrangement employed for admitting working fluid to the heat transferring element. at two points; and Figures 11 to 13 are detail views of modiiiedforms of heat transferring elements.

Referring to they drawings, particularly Figuresl and 2, l indicates the framework ofv the apparatus which housesl the heat transferring unit. The heat transferring unit consists of a plurality of tubes 2 extending longitudinally of the apparatus and provided throughout their length with heat conducting fins 3 assembled in closely adjacent relation upon the tubes. The space surrounding the tubes 2 constitutes the gas passage thru the appa-ratus and the gas is filmed along the surfaces of the closely spaced fins 3 and is thusbrought into repeated andintimate contact with the heat transferring surfaces.

The tubes 2 of the heating unit are preferably arranged in transverse rows in the heating unit and-working fluid is admitted to the tubes thru the medium of an inlet y j the apparatus thru the other tubes which are in communication with those' return connections 5. The entire group of tubes 2 constituting the heat transferring unit" are divided intoindividual fluid conveying elements by means of the return connections 5.

In the apparatus shownin Figures. l to 10V each of the Huid conveying elements'consist of a pair of tubes, but it will be understood that these elements may equally well'consist ofzmore than two tubes after the fashion shown in Figures l1 to 13.

Atthe en d of the heat transferring element oppositethewater boxes or V return connections 5 is a similar set of water boxes 6 serving to interconnect the other ends of` certain of the tubes 2. The water boxes 6 are each connected to receive fluid issuing from the return pass of one fluidv conveying element and topassthis fluid into the initial pass of a secondv element. Vith rthis yarrangement la numberk of the fluid conveying elements will be connected in series thru the medium of the return connections 5 and 6 at the respective ends of the heating unit..

After the working fluid hasV traversed a number of the fluid conveying elements in series, it issues into the manifold 7 and is thereupon discharged from the'apparatus. For the purpose of presenting'a staggered arrangement to the flow of gas thru the apparatusfthe tube elements maybe slanted asshown in Fg. 9, so that they tubes are in` effect arranged in a plurality of staggered rows having adjacent tube ends of each row interconnected by the water boxes 5k and 6.

The return 'connections 5 and 6 consist' of` Y integral boxes or chambers into which the tubes have been suitably secured. Each of the boxes is provided with a projectionjor prong 8 which fits into a hole in a supporting strip 9 carried by the framev of the apparatus. By this means the tubes of the heating un'itare supported at their respective ends and atjthe same time are properly po-V sitioned with respect to the other elements yof the apparatus. For the purpose of aligning theV respective tubes and supporting them at aV point intermediate their ends a series of supporting blocks 10 are provided.

AsV shown in Figure 5, thesesupporting blocks' l0 consist of a pair of identical sections adapted to be clamped aroundv the tubes 2 of one fluid conveying element'. vThe supporting block 10 is dimensioned externally to exactly those dimensions intended to be occupied by one fluid conveying element. Upon assembly in the apparatus the supporting blocks l() lie adjacent each other, as shown in Figure 8, and 'thus serve to automatically align each tube element and locate it properly in the apparatus with respect to all of the other elements. of supporting the tube elements at their ends and at one or more points intermediate their ends are disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial Noa 705,982, filedV AprilLlQ, 1924, and it willl be understood that the present invention does not broadly claim these features. Similarly the tube element ernploying more than two tubes, as'indicated in Figures l1 and 13, is disclosed in the co- 'pendingapplication just mentioned and is not in its broad aspects a part of the invention.

In Figure 10 I have shown an arrangement for admitting working fluid tothe heating unit at more than one point. The inlet manifold 4 serves to admit fluid to a plurality of heating tubes 2, and after this fluid traverses a number of the fluid conveying elements in series it is discharged into the outlet'manifold 7 from whenceit is conducted away from the apparatus. A second inlet manifold 4 is provided for admission of working iiuid and likewise admits iiuid to a plurality of the tubes 2 in parallel arrangement. After traversing a number of the tube elements connected in series arrangement the fluid admitted thru the inlet manifold 4 is discharged into the i outlet manifold 7 and from thence it is conducted out of the apparatus. With this arrangement the entire body of tubes above the inlet manifold 4 constitutes a single unit or section, while the remaining tubes of the .apparatus constitute an independent group or section. The two groups of tubes receive and handle working fluid independently. Each group consists of a plurality of tubes connected in parallel andalso consists of a number of these groups connected in series. By thus providing separate groups of tubes in each of which the fluid conveying elements are connected in series-parallel arrangement, it is possible to adapt the appara'tus to all conditions encountered in operation without experiencing any serious difficulty in the way of limitation of certain dimensions of the apparatus. For instance, if it is desired to have a narrow apparatus, the heat transferring tubes may be divided into two or more groups as indicated in Figure l0 with the result that the gas traversing the apparatus will be brought into heat transferring relation with several fresh supplies of working liuid and thus adequate heat transfer may be effected. On the other hand, if the design were limited to an ar- These features Y sage.

rangement wherein the entire heating yunit consists of a single group of tubes connectedV in series-parallel arrangement with but one portion of the tubes devoted to the admission of working fluid, the amount' of fresh working fluid which can be supplied depends ldirectly upon the width of the gas passage for the reason that the number of tube elements which are connected in parallel is determined by the width of this pasliththis arrangement, additional working fluid could be provided for only by rincreasing the width of the apparatus.

tions or water boxes `at each end of the heating unit to thereby eliminate the usual complicated and expensive cast water head coni struction which is commonly employed in apparatus'of this class. It is also the intent lof the invention to provide in a heat exchanger employing this type of structure a` fiexible arrangement for distribution of fluid thru the heating unit with the advan tage that a marked flexibility of design results.

I claim e l. l-leatexchange apparatus of the class described, comprising a passage for the gas being treated, a heat transferring unit comprising a plurality of fluid conveying tubes extending into heat transferring relation with the gas traversing the apparatus, individual connections at one end of said tubes for dividing the entire body of tubes constituting said heating unit into a plurality of individual iiuid conveying elements having twovpasses for conveying iiuid respectively in an initial and a reverse. direction, heat conducting fins spanning all of the tubes of each of said elements, means for admitting working fluid to the initial passes of certain of said elements in a parallel arrangement of flow, individual connections at the other ends of said tubes for interconnecting the reverse flow passes of said parallelconnected elements with the initial passes of other elements, whereby a plurality of groups of said elements conveying fluid in parallel arrangement are connected in series, and means for admitting working fluid to said fluid conveying elements at a second portion of the heating unit, whereby a predetermined character of fiuid distribution to the tubes of the heating unit is effected without the provision of a water head.

2. Heat exchange apparatus of the class described comprising a passage for the gas being treated, a pluralityof fluid conveying tubes extending intoy heat exchanging relay tion with the gas traversing the apparatus,

indivi-dual connections at .one'end of said tubes for ydividing theY entire body of tubes into a plurality of individual fluid conveying elements having two passes for convey-V ing-fluid respectively inL an initial and a reverse direction, heat conducting fins span,-V

ning the tubes of the respective elements to thereby render each element a unitary structure, lindividual connections at the other ends of said tubes for interconnecting the reverse flow passes ofsaid fluid conveying elements with the initial passes of other elements, lugs provided on said ,individual connections at the respective ends of the apparatus, and removable strips having holes for receiving .saidlugs to therebyrsupport the heat trans- :ing fluid respectively in anfinitial and a reverse direction, heat conducting ns spanning the tubes of the respective elements to thereby render each element a unitary structure, individual connections at the other vends of said Vtubes for interconnecting the reverse flow passes of said fluid conveying elements with the initial passes of other elements, lugs provided on said individual connections at the respective ends of the apparatus, removable strips having holes for receiving said lugs to thereby support thev heat transferring tubes at both` ends of the apparatus, and members associated with the .respective tube elements intermediate the ends thereof of dimensions identical with the dimensions of the space to be occupiedin the apparatus by each element, wherebyl said members provided on each of said elements lie adjacent corresponding members on ad'- jacent elements and thereby serve toproperly locate and support the respective elements.

4;.' Heat exchange apparatus of the class described comprising a passage for the gas being treated, a plurality of fluid conveying tubes extending into heat exchanging relation with the gas traversing the apparatus,

individual connections at one end of said tubes for dividing the entire body of tubes Y into a plurality of individual fluid conveying elements having two passes for conveying fluid respectively in an initial and a reverse direction, individual connections atthe other ends of said tubes for interconnecting the reverse flow passes of said fluid conveye ing elements with the initial passes of other elements, lugs provided on sai-d individual connections atV the respective ends of the apparatus, and removable strips having holes forreceiving said lugs to thereby support the heat transferring tubes at both ends of the apparatus.

In testimony whereof I' aflix 'my signature.

JOSEPH Peron. 

